Facebook’s first female board member: Sheryl Sandberg

After years of serving as one Facebook’s top executives, COO Sheryl Sandberg has been appointed to the company’s board of directors.

“Sheryl has been my partner in running Facebook and has been central to our growth and success over the years,” said company founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a press release. “Her understanding of our mission and long-term opportunity, and her experience both at Facebook and on public company boards makes her a natural fit for our board.”

Sandberg, a former Google Vice President, is the first woman to be appointed the social networking giant’s eight-member board of directors. The board includes, CEO Mark Zuckerberg, financial backers Marc Andreessen of Andreessen Horowitz, Jim Breyer of Accel Partners and Peter Thiel of Founders Fund, Donald E. Graham, chairman and CEO, The Washington Post Company, Reed Hastings, chairman and CEO of Netflix and Erskine B. Bowles, president emeritus, University of North Carolina system.

Sandberg currently oversees Facebook’s business operations, which includes sales, marketing, business development, legal, human resources, public policy and communications.

“Facebook is working every day to make the world more open and connected,” Sandberg said. “It’s a mission that I’m deeply passionate about, and I feel fortunate to be part of a company that is having such a profound impact in the world.”

Sandberg also serves on the boards of The Walt Disney Company, Women for Women International, the Center for Global Development and V-Day.